Ibom Air and Air Peace Airline have refuted what it described as a misleading report that listed the airline amongst Nigerian airlines blacklisted by foreign companies over breach of contracts and declared that it has never dry-leased any aircraft since its inception which made it impossible for it to have breached a non-existent contract talk less of been blacklisted by any lessor.
The airline’s position is coming from a story earlier carried by another newspaper which listed Air Peace among thirteen Nigerian airlines allegedly blacklisted by foreign companies including aircraft leasing companies over breach of contracts.
Air Peace through a statement issued and made available to journalists insisted that it has never breached any contractual obligations.
According to the statement: “Our attention has been drawn to erroneous claims by a Newspaper outlet, and a host of other media outfits who on the 17 July 2024, published an article titled “13 Nigerian Airlines Blacklisted for Contract Breaches,” which incorrectly included our airline.
“Air Peace has consistently operated with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism since our inception in 2014. Contrary to the misleading information presented in the article, Air Peace has NEVER dry-leased any aircraft since the inception of the airline and, as such, couldn’t have breached a non-existent contract and has never been blacklisted by any lessor. We have never breached any contractual obligations.
“Our financial dealings have always been conducted with utmost integrity and transparency, with no breaches of payment terms. Our operations remain robust and compliant with all relevant regulatory and industry standards. Air Peace is committed to maintaining excellent service and operational efficiency, setting a benchmark in the West African aviation sector.
“The inclusion of Air Peace in the said publication is both misleading and damaging to our reputation. The allegations are completely unfounded and have no basis in reality.
“Air Peace, by virtue of its vantage position and rising profile, has been subjected to several smear campaigns aimed at distracting it from its ultimate goal of connecting cities and generally improving aviation travel within Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.
“Air Peace is, however, open to constructive criticisms but frowns at attempts to bring it down by misinforming the world about its operations.
“Air Peace connects people to most of the cities in Nigeria and has extended its operations to many destinations in West Africa and beyond. Air Peace has placed Nigeria’s aviation industry firmly on the global map, showcasing the capabilities of a Nigerian airline across various fronts, notably excelling in maintaining an unparalleled safety culture.
“The airline’s visionary goal is to be ever dependable through the creation of seamless connections and network options for its extensive domestic, regional, and international markets. The heartbeat of Air Peace’s success lies in its strategic approach to fleet modernization and route expansion.
“In 2021, the airline achieved a milestone by becoming the launch customer for the groundbreaking 124-seater Embraer 195-E2 aircraft in Africa.
“This marked the delivery of the first five units as part of a 2018 firm order for 13 E195s, with additional orders for Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 10 aircraft, signalling a phased transition from the existing Boeing 737 fleet.
“Elevating its fleet modernization, Air Peace recently inked a significant deal firm order for five Embraer 175 aircraft, accompanied by plans for a local maintenance facility supported by Embraer. The airline has consistently maintained a clean safety record in all its operations.”
In a statement issued by the Group Manager, marketing and communication for Ibom Air, Aniekan Essienette, the airline declared to all its business partners globally that contrary to the report it does not have any aircraft on lease from any lessors, foreign or domestic firms but owns all the seven aircraft in its fleet that it presently operate.
The airline equally clarified that all the seven aircraft in its fleet are financed by Nigerian banks.
The statement issued to the media partly declared, “For the avoidance of doubt, Ibom Air is not blacklisted by any lessor, local or international, and has never been in breach of any contract into which it has entered.
“On the contrary, the airline is in good standing with both local and international financiers and lessors
“Ibom Air is compelled to correct the misleading headline story on the front page of the newspaper of 17 July 2024, titled: ’13 Nigerian airlines blacklisted for contract breaches’.
“This false story severely damaged Ibom Air’s reputation as a business with the highest corporate governance standards.
“We assure all our business partners that Ibom Air does not have any aircraft on lease from any lessors, foreign or domestic. We own all seven aircraft that we operate, and they are all financed by Nigerian banks.
“Also, for the avoidance of doubt, Ibom Air is not blacklisted by any lessor, local or international, and has never been in breach of any contract into which it has entered.
“The Newspaper story was prejudicial to our business interests. We brought it to the notice of the newspaper, which promptly pulled the story and promised to retract it.
“Our business partners can rest assured that Ibom Air continues to be committed to the letter and spirit of any agreements we enter into.”
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